In the days that followed, Konoha finally settled down. The once deserted streets slowly filled with people again, and under Tsunade's guidance, the village regained its previous liveliness.
Buildings destroyed during the recent conflict had been rebuilt, and the village as a whole had emerged from the ashes of war with renewed spirit.
As Konoha regained its stability, Ryo issued new orders to rebuild the wooden cabin that had been damaged during the chaos. The once dilapidated structure was reconstructed, and the surrounding mountain environment was also restored. Even the deep pit that had formed in front of the cabin had been filled, and fresh trees had been replanted. In time, the place would no doubt regain its natural vitality.
—
After lunch, Ryo leaned back on a chair in the backyard, eyes half closed as he enjoyed the breeze washing over him.
"Big Brother Ryo (Boss), we're here."
A familiar voice drifted through the air. Ryo opened his eyes to see Jiraiya walking in, accompanied by Naruto, who didn't look nearly as lively as usual.
"Jiraiya? Naruto? What's going on?"
Ryo sat up and looked at them with a hint of curiosity.
"Boss, we're here to buy some energy cubes and healing potions."
Ryo raised a brow. "Isn't Sasori and Deidara manning the shop?"
Jiraiya nodded. "They are."
"Then why didn't you just go to them directly?"
Jiraiya gave a sheepish smile. "Well… we also came to say goodbye."
"Huh?"
Ryo blinked. "Goodbye? You're leaving?"
Jiraiya nodded. "Yes. Now that Konoha has settled down, I'm planning to head out. I'm taking Naruto with me for training."
Ryo gave a nod of understanding. But seeing Naruto's downcast expression, he turned to Jiraiya and asked, "Are you sure Naruto's ready for that, though? He looks pretty out of it."
Judging by the timing, Ryo had a good idea what this was about. Other than Sasuke's defection, there wasn't much else that could have impacted Naruto like this.
Jiraiya glanced at Naruto and shook his head lightly. "It's fine. A change of scenery will help. Give it some time—he'll bounce back."
Ryo didn't press further. If anyone knew Naruto well, it was Jiraiya.
After all, Jiraiya had gone through something similar in his youth—when Orochimaru left, he too had been left in shock.
Standing up from his chair, Ryo said, "Alright then, let's go get your supplies. I'll see you off properly."
As Jiraiya followed him, he chuckled and rubbed his hands together. "Boss, since we're about to leave and who knows when we'll be back… any chance we could get a bit of a discount?"
"Nope."
Ryo shot him a deadpan look. "You're one of the Legendary Sannin, a man with a reputation across the entire ninja world, and you're haggling over a few energy cubes? Even Naruto hasn't asked for a discount."
Jiraiya grimaced and shrugged. "Alright, alright."
Without another word, they walked together to the shop.
Inside, Sasori and Deidara greeted him. "Boss."
Ryo gave a brief nod, then turned to Jiraiya. "Tell me what you need—I'll grab it for you."
"Ten bags of mid-grade energy cubes, ten bags of high-grade ones, and five bottles of premium healing potions. That should do. We can't carry much more anyway."
Ryo nodded and began pulling out the items.
Jiraiya's expression twisted in pain as he pulled out his wallet, hand moving slowly as if every motion drained his soul.
He paused halfway through and looked up. "Boss, seriously—no discount?"
Ryo's mouth twitched. "No. This is a small business. No discounts."
"Ugh… fine."
Jiraiya resumed handing over the money, his face contorted like he was about to cry.
Ryo snatched the money and rolled his eyes, counting it carefully. He didn't entirely trust Jiraiya in this department.
What was odd, though, was that every time Jiraiya came here, he acted broke—but he always seemed to have money to buy everything he needed. It was a mystery.
Jiraiya looked at his now empty hands and dramatically clutched his chest. "Boss, I swear coming here is dangerous. Every time I walk in, I walk out broke. It's like I'm working for you or something."
Ignoring his complaints, Ryo finished counting and said, "Alright, everything's in order. Let's get you on your way."
He stashed the money away and led them back outside.
Jiraiya looked completely stunned. One moment they were buying goods, and the next he was being ushered out.
Just like that, Ryo had escorted them out the front gate.
"Alright, I won't hold you up any longer. Travel safe."
He turned to Naruto. "No matter what happens, remember your ninja way."
With that, he turned back toward the wooden house, raising a hand in farewell without looking back.
Jiraiya finally snapped out of it and shook his head. "Take care too, Boss. We'll be off now."
Naruto, his eyes finally regaining a bit of their spark, called out, "Big Brother Ryo! I'll remember! I'll stick to my ninja way no matter what!"
With renewed determination, the two of them headed toward the village gates.
Meanwhile, Ryo returned to his chair in the backyard, muttering to himself. "Now that Naruto's gone, there won't be much plot development for a while. No important characters from Konoha are going to show up."
This was a lull in the story—what Ryo called the plot's "blank period."
If he didn't go out exploring and seeking out people himself, there was no telling when he'd trigger another reward box from the system.
"I guess I should handle that thing with Tsunade first. Once that's done, I'll head out and explore the world a bit. Maybe meet some key figures along the way."
He let out a breath and leaned back. "Been here this long and I've barely seen anything of this world…"
With that murmur, Ryo closed his eyes and relaxed once more.
The matter with Tsunade—forming a Pokémon squad—was already discussed between them.
She had mentioned yesterday that she'd begun selecting members and would bring them over in the next couple of days to bond with Pokémon.
It wasn't something particularly critical, but Ryo felt it was worth attending to personally.
After all, he was still living in Konoha. It was only right to show some respect.
And truthfully, his relationship with Tsunade was far better than it had ever been with Hiruzen.
Whether it was out of sentiment or principle, Ryo knew he needed to be there. This was something only he, as the boss, could handle.
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